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Diocese of Lincoln newspaperwww.lincoln.anglican.org

Learning aboutour Diocese

Welcome

From Grimsby to Stamford: ournew Bishop visits the Diocese

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New Bishop special edition

Football and themerchant navy

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Lincolnshireconnections

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Susan Lowson and the Venerable Christopher Lowson are preparing for a new life in Lincolnshire PHOTOGRAPH: WILL HARRISON

The Queen has approved the appoint-ment of the Church of England’sDirector of Ministry as the 72nd

Bishop of Lincoln.The Venerable Christopher Lowson (58)

has been Director of Ministry for theChurch of England since February 2006. Inthis role he has led a team responsible fordeveloping policy and delivering supportto those in lay and ordained ministrythroughout the Church of England. The Ministry Division advises the House

of Bishops, the Archbishops’ Council andthe General Synod on ministry matters andis responsible for the selection and theoversight of the training of more than 900new clergy, lay Readers and others admit-ted to ministry each year.Born in 1953 in the north-eastern indus-

trial steel town of Consett in Co. Durham,Christopher attended Blackfyne Comp-rehensive School, and was encouraged toexplore the possibility of the ordained min-istry soon after his confirmation when hewas 13 years old. His father, grandfather (a professional

footballer) and great-grandfather had allworked at Consett’s steel works, andChristopher worked there for two summersas a labourer in the coke ovens at the plantwhile undertaking his initial training for theordained ministry. He completed his stud-ies at King’s College, London and in StAugustine’s College, Canterbury (AKC),where two of his fellow students were thecurrent bishops of Grimsby and Grantham.In 1976 he married Susan, and in the

same year was awarded a World Council ofChurches Scholarship to study at Berkeleyin California where he studied within theGraduate Theological Union and gainedthe degree of Master of Sacred Theology(STM) for his work on the relationshipbetween theology and literature, writing adissertation on theological themes in thepoetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.Christopher was ordained deacon in the

Diocese of Southwark in 1977, and priest in1978. He spent five years as a curate inRichmond, southwest London. His first postin charge of a parish was Holy TrinityEltham – a suburban parish in the London

Borough of Greenwich where he was alsoAnglican chaplain to Avery Hill College ofEducation – later part of ThamesPolytechnic and now the University ofGreenwich. After nine years he was appointed to be

vicar of Petersfield, a market town inHampshire, and rector of a village on theedge of the South Downs, Buriton. Duringthis time he studied as a part-time studentat Heythrop College, in the University ofLondon for a Master of Theology degree(MTh) in pastoral theology, writing a disser-tation on models of ordained leadership ina rural context.In 1999 he took up the post of

Archdeacon of Portsmouth, later tobecome the Archdeacon of Portsdown. Hechaired the Diocese of Portsmouth’s Boardof Ministry and the Kairos Project, a pro-gramme of renewal for the diocese whichencouraged parishes and diocesan bodiesin Portsmouth to take part in an 18-monthprocess of study, prayer and reflection onthe needs of the their local communitiesbefore producing five-year plans for mis-

sion and ministry. He also helped deviseand teach an MA course in Church andCommunity Studies at the University ofPortsmouth for clergy, Readers, teachersand other professionals. In 2003 he com-pleted a Master of Laws degree in CanonLaw (LLM) at Cardiff Law School in whichhe explored legal issues surrounding thehistory and future of the parson’s freehold,and in 2006 took up his current post inLondon.Susan, his wife, is a registered general

and paediatric nurse who now works as alead clinician for the Parliamentary andHealth Service Ombudsman, providingclinical advice in relation to complaintswithin the National Health Service inEngland. She is also churchwarden of StMatthew’s Church, Westminster.Christopher and Susan have two grown-

up children: James (31) now married toKatie (also the child of an archdeacon) whoworks for Dow Jones in London – Katieworks for the BBC – and Rebecca (29), aHistory graduate who now lives and worksin Manchester.

Director of Ministry

appointed Bishop

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A varied ministry

Born 1953, Consett, Co Durham

Attended BlackfyneComprehensive School

Studied at King’s College, London

Worked at Consett Steel Works asa student

Studied at St Augustine’s College,Canterbury

Studied at the Pacific School ofReligion, Berkley, California

Ordained Deacon in Southwark in1977

Curate of Richmond St Mary 1977-1979

Ordained Priest in 1978

Curate of Richmond St Mary w StMatthias and St John 1979-1982

Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity,Eltham 1982-1983

Vicar of Eltham 1983-1991

Rector of Buriton, Portsmouth1991-1999

Vicar of Petersfield 1991-1999

Rural Dean of Petersfield 1995-1999

Archdeacon of Portsdown,Portsmouth 1999-2006

Bishop’s Liaison Officer forPrisons, Diocese of Portsmouth2000-2003

Bishop’s Advisor to HospitalChaplaincy, Diocese ofPortsmouth 2003-2006

Director of the Church of EnglandMinistry Division from 2006

Priest-Vicar of Westminster Abbeyfrom 2006

Appointed 72nd Bishop ofLincoln in 2011

Lists contemporary literature,theatre, watching live sport(particularly cricket and football),walking and cookery among hisinterests.

The announcement of a new Bishop ofLincoln is an occasion awaited withgreat excitement and anticipation by

churchgoers, the media and the widercommunity.A Bishop is not just the leader of the

Church in the Diocese, but also a championof the poor and marginalised in the com-munity. He can build relationships with theinfluential and guide people to help others.And the Ven Christopher Lowson chose a

church working hard for the marginalisedin North East Lincolnshire as the venue forhis announcement as 72nd Bishop ofLincoln.

The Church of St John, St Stephen andShalom in New Clee, Grimsby, holds youthgroups for hundreds of young people,including those who have been excludedfrom schools. The parish priest, Canon JohnEllis, works with local community organisa-tions to fund the work of the Shalom YouthCentre. And the Diocese of Lincoln hasbought a piece of land adjoining thechurch, with plans to build emergencyaccommodation for homeless youngsters.The scheme will provide ten bedsits and

will cost between £800,000 and £1 million,if the bid to the Big Lottery Fund is success-ful.“The need is colossal,” Canon Ellis told the

Grimsby Telegraph.“This sort of accommodation is vital

because sometimes people end up inpolice custody because they have nowhereelse to go.“Youth offending services are hoping it

could have been built yesterday. But wewill have to wait for lottery funding andsupport from businesses.”

After the announcement was made atNew Clee, Christopher Lowson and his wifeSusan joined senior staff on a tour of hisnew diocese, including stops at Lincoln tovisit the cathedral, a farm near Holbeach, arural church in Weston and another churchengaged in social action in the north ofStamford.And it was particularly appropriate that

he toured the diocese in Lincoln CityFootball Club’s team coach − Christopher’sgrandfather was a professional footballerwho lived in Lincoln for a while, and it isthought he played for a Lincoln City squad. As a youngster, Christopher visited

Immingham docks several times when hisfather was a merchant sailor.“It was a great honour to be invited to be

Bishop of Lincoln, and my immediateinstinct was to accept,” said Christopher.“It is daunting to be part of a great tradi-

tion of people who have all left their legacyin the Diocese, and I pray that I can live upto this great challenge. “Susan and I are very much looking for-

ward to moving to Lincoln, and exploringthe wonderful diversity in the Diocese, andto leading God’s work here.”

Parish priest, rural dean,

archdeacon and directorChristopher Lowson

Christopher Lowson visited his new cathedral during a tour of the Diocese

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Christopher Lowson has

the gentle authority of a fine

pastor and the clarity of mind

of a superb teacher.

He’s been greatly appreciated

as a parish priest, archdeacon

and most recently as Director

of Ministry Division.

Lincoln will soon count itself

fortunate to have Christopher

as its bishop.

“

”The Rt Revd Graham JamesBishop of Norwich and Chair of theChurch of England Ministry DivisionPH

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Scunthorpe

Grantham

Stamford

Spalding

Market Rasen

Sleaford

Lincoln

Gainsborough

“We were delighted to be ableto welcome our new Bishop, aswell as his wife and seniorcolleagues, to Christ Church,Stamford on the day of the officialannouncement of his appointment.We very much appreciated hisrelaxed and approachable style, andhis interest in meeting members ofour various outreach programmesand the local church family.”

Mike Mills, Operations DirectorChrist Church, Stamford

The Diocese: an outline

The Diocese of Lincoln was constituted by William the Conquerer, and stretched from the Humber to the Thames, covering the moderncounties of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire.The latter was moved to Ely in 1109 but the Diocese stayed largely intact through the middle ages.

Nowadays the Diocese covers an area of 2,673 square miles and has a population of around 950,000 with 31,000 on the parish electoral rolls.It is split into three archdeaconries, those of Stow, Lindsey and Lincoln, and contains 240 benefices, 513 parishes and 645 Anglican churches.

Announcement at St John, St Stephen and Shalom New CleeMeet the Dean and Chapter at Lincoln CathedralPrayers in St Hugh’s Chapel, The Old PalaceMeet the Staff of The Old Palace, the offices of the DioceseTravel to Holbeach to meet Tony Worth, the Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, and to hear about Lincolnshire farmingA brief visit to St Mary’s, WestonTea and cakes at Christ Church, Stamford, followed by Evening Prayer led by the new Bishop

Lincolnshire

The population of Lincolnshire is roughly 700,000. It isessentially a rural county with a few large settlements andseveral market towns. The main industries are foodproduction, agriculture and tourism, with the RAF basesproviding an important contribution to the local economy.

Until the late 1990s Lincolnshire had few ethnic minorityresidents and migrant workers had generally worked on aseasonal basis, travelling from Ireland. Following the closureof the coal mines in the early 1990s many former miners tookthese jobs, but increasingly they are now being occupied bymigrant workers from Easter Europe and Portugal. Earlyfriction between native Lincolnshire residents and thenewcomers has largely dissipated.

The most striking development in Lincoln itself has been theestablishment of the university which is now home to some10,000 students. The renovation of the Brayford Pool hasadded to the visitor appeal of the city.

Crime in Lincolnshire remains low by national standardsthough there is still significant fear among residents. This islargely owing to the number of vulnerable elderly peopleliving in remote locations in the county.

The County Council highly values its links with the Church ofEngland and the former bishop, Dr John Saxbee, stronglypromoted a close working relationship.

Meeting Diocesan Staff, Rural Deans andDeanery Lay Chairs at The Old Palace

The Ven Christopher Lowsonand Susan Lowson met the VeryRevd Philip Buckler, Dean ofLincoln.

A visit to a farm near Holbeach.

The day ended as it began with a visit to a church engaged inhelping its local community, Christ Church, Stamford.

10 am12 pm

12.30 pm12.45 pm

3 pm

4.30 pm5 pm

Christopher Lowson’s first day

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Stamford

Spalding

Boston

Louth

Skegness

Grimsby

Market Rasen

Sleaford

Horncastle

North East Lincolnshire

With a unique mixture of industry and tourism, and its rootsin the fishing industry, North East Lincolnshire is renownedfor its contribution to the UK and Europe’s food industries.

North East Lincolnshire contains the largest urban area inGrimsby and Cleethorpes with just over 160,000 people.There are significant numbers of Super Output Areas withhigh levels of deprivation, which is best demonstrated byhealth inequalities. In North East Lincolnshire hospital staysfor alcohol related harm, drug misuse and diabetes relatedillnesses are worse than averages for England.

The Appointment of the Venerable Christopher Lowson wasannounced in St John, St Stephen and Shalom New Clee,which he said was particularly appropriate with its focus oncommunity and strong leadership by its parish priest, JohnEllis.

He said that “serving the community, the wider communitybeyond the church, will be one of my strategic aims as yournew bishop”.

North Lincolnshire

Unitary authorities since 1996, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire make up just over a third of the Diocese’s residents. Scunthorpeand historic towns like Barton, Brigg and Epworth are the major urban centres, which stand in contrast with large areas of rolling countrysidewhere the Wolds meet the Humber estuary and the fenlands of the Isle of Axholme with the fens of South Yorkshire.

The economy of the area has been dominated recently with an emphasis on regionalisation focussed on Yorkshire and Leeds away fromhistoric links with Lincoln. North Lincolnshire contains the M180, the only stretch of motorway in the Diocese.

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Market Place, BriggThe only motorway in the Diocese, the M180

Above: Susan Lowsonreceiving a bird box

made by young peopleat St John’s New Clee.

Right: The VenChristopher

Lowson

“We were honoured to welcome our new bishop. Wewere all impressed by his easymanner which put all our gangat ease immediately. His wifealso made a deep impression.

He clearly understands ourkind of community and we

look forward to his ministry inthe future.”

Canon John EllisSt John, St Stephen and Shalom, New Clee

Grimsby Fish Market

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This feels a bit like the openingof a new series of Strictly ComeDancing when you see all the

new people for the first time. I don’t wantyou to panic because of the white hair; I’mnot as old as a look. In fact I was at collegewith both bishops − the Bishops ofGrimsby and Grantham − and we were allborn in 1953. That was clearly a vintageyear for bishops in Lincolnshire.Sometimes people in the media are

interested in the reaction of family tonews like this and I was able to tell my par-ents and my children the news only twodays ago, since it’s all kept very confiden-tial. I spoke first to my father who remind-ed me that when he was in the merchantnavy he’d often bring his ship intoImmingham, and I would go to see him asa child there. He also told me, and I didn’tknow this before, that he lived in Lincolnfor several years when his father was aprofessional football player. He came fromthe steelworks in Consett, CountyDurham. We can’t quite work out whichteam he played for but it could have beenLincoln City. It was before the days ofBeckham, and when he broke his leg hewas back to the steelworks, and that wasthe end of his footballing career. When I told my children the news yes-

terday my son James knew immediatelyall about the football teams; about the bigmatch for Scunthorpe which is takingplace tomorrow, and Lincoln City in thesecond division and the other teams with-in the diocese. My daughter, who’s a bitmore clued up about these things, said“Oh Lincoln! That’s a proper diocese.” Andshe’s absolutely right. Lincoln is a properdiocese and I am thrilled and honoured tohave been invited to be bishop.Susan and I are very grateful for the wel-

come we’ve received today, and we arelooking forward to getting to know thepeople of the diocese when we arriveproperly in the Autumn. We’ll be trying toget to know you by visiting as many parts

of the diocese as quickly as possible andoffering you hospitality in our home inLincoln. Of course, it goes without sayingthat I am delighted and honoured to havebeen invited to be your next bishop. It’s atremendous privilege to have beennamed as the 72nd bishop of such a largeand historic diocese as Lincoln.I already know most of the members of

the senior diocesan staff and I’m verymuch looking forward to working closelywith them in the years to come. Therehave been some outstanding Bishops ofLincoln and it’s an honour for me to try tofollow in their footsteps. I rememberspending several days in the diocese lastJuly as a guest of Bishop John Saxbee, andI was hugely impressed by the work heand his colleagues were doing, and by hisfriendly style and personal ability to getalongside people within the church com-munity and outside it. I hope to build onhis ministry as a bishop whilst bringingmy own gifts to the role.It’s particularly appropriate that the

announcement should be made in thecontext of St John’s New Clee, whereexcellent leadership by the local parishpriest, John Ellis, shows the Church isdeeply engaged in serving the needs ofthe local community. I’m fascinated and

thrilled to see this innovative exercisehere for worship and prayer for youngpeople to express their faith journey. It’svery important that we should be here tostart my ministry off in the Diocese ofLincoln today because serving the widercommunity beyond the Church will beone of my strategic aims as your new bish-op. It seems to me that being a bishop isabout supporting and encouraging theclergy and laity of the diocese at the grassroots, about mobilising the Christian com-munity to engage with the life of theworld in order together to uncover andbuild God’s Kingdom. And to do that,Christians need to work together withpeople of the world; people of faith, nofaith, people in public, private and volun-tary sectors to serve the common goodand to build a community in which allpeople can flourish and grow into thepeople God has made them to be.Today we meet in Passiontide when we

focus on the suffering and later the deathof our Lord and we are about to enter theholiest week of the Church’s year, and thistime reminds us of what’s really impor-tant. Bishops of Lincoln are important inone sense but Passiontide, Good Fridayand Easter are really important. In church-es and schools across the Diocese youhave been, and will be, focussing on whatreally matters: the suffering, the death,and resurrection of our Lord. We will recallthat because of the love of God, perfectlyexpressed in Jesus of Nazareth, everythingeverywhere for all time has been trans-formed. Our lives and the lives of commu-nities like this community here are able tobe transformed by God’s love. That mustbe the basis of everything we are and do.So thank you from both of us, from

Susan and me, for your welcome. We lookforward to getting to know you and work-ing together to serve the world in the bestway we can by recognising andbuilding God’s Kingdom in thisplace.

Christopher Lowson (right) meets his new Domestic Chaplain, Canon Michael Silley

“

”

Christopher Lowson’s speech on the announcement of his appointment:

Delighted and honoured

Aday’s travelling around the Dioceseof Lincoln enabled the next Bishop ofLincoln to see the Church in action in

the region.After the announcement of his appoint-

ment was made at the Church of St John, StStephen and Shalom, New Clee,Christopher Lowson and his wife, Susan,boarded the Lincoln City Football Clubteam coach to begin their tour of the dio-cese with other senior staff.Arriving in Lincoln, they were greeted by

the Dean of Lincoln and introduced to thecathedral chapter before seeing the cathe-dra, or bishop’s throne, in the quire of thecathedral. Prayers in St Hugh’s Chapel − thechapel at The Old Palace established byBishop Edward King − preceded lunch withdiocesan staff, rural deans and deanery laychairs.

The afternoon saw a visit to the farm ofTony Worth, Lord-Lieutenant of Lincoln-shire, near Holbeach, where Christopherwitnessed the last potatoes of the seasonbeing planted by a satellite-guided tractor.The new bishop heard about the chal-lenges experienced by farmers in the area,particularly with respect to irrigation.A brief visit to St Mary’s Church in

Weston, near Spalding, showed Chris-topher and Susan the difficulties faced bylarge and historic rural churches. The parishpriest, the Revd Rosamund Seal, describedthe problems regarding local income andrepairs.Finally, the day ended as it had begun −

in a church which is deeply engaged withthe local community. Christ ChurchStamford runs several community schemesand projects, including a car scheme, youthgroups and lunch clubs.And it was here that Christopher led his

first service in the Diocese. The simple serv-ice of Evening Prayer was attended bymany of the people whom Christ ChurchStamford supports.

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Will Harrison

Learning

about the

Diocese

of Lincoln

Christopher met the Lord-Lieutenant,Tony Worth, at his farm near Holbeach.

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The news that ‘The Queen hasapproved the nomination of theVenerable Christopher Lowson for

election as Bishop of Lincoln’ brought anunusual note of celebration and joy in themiddle of the solemn season of Passiontide. But the news that Christopher is to be our

new bishop is indeed a cause for celebra-tion – even if it is tinged with a degree ofamazement at the complicated processthat has taken us from the announcementof Christopher’s appointment to his‘enthronement’ in Lincoln Cathedral in theautumn.

But even this reminds us of the carefulchecks and balances built into the appoint-ment of a diocesan bishop – the voice andthe needs of the diocese balanced with therole of The Queen and the Prime Minister –a reminder of the Church of England’s rolein serving the whole nation for the benefitof all. ‘Nature abhors a vacuum’ according to

Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher.Whether or not this is true, we still struggleto find words to describe a parish tem-porarily without a vicar or a diocese with-out bishop. We have rightly moved awayfrom talking about a parish being in an‘interregnum’ because this suggests thatthe vicar is a monarch with power and influ-ence or possibly even requiring obediencefrom subject parishioners. But even ‘vacancy’ doesn’t quite get it

right – as the life of the parish can continueand even flourish with the gift of lay minis-ters, Readers and other clergy (ordainedlocal ministers, assistants and retired cler-gy).In the same way, the Diocese of Lincoln

will continue to flourish in the months tocome, but we look forward, with anticipa-tion and hope, to the particular gifts andskills that Christopher will bring as the 72ndBishop of Lincoln.

Tim BarkerArchdeacon of Lincoln

Tim EllisBishop of Grantham

David RossdaleBishop of Grimsby

Max ManinChief Executive

Michael SilleyBishop of Lincoln’s Chaplain

Iwas absolutely delighted to hear thatChristopher Lowson has been namedas the next Bishop of Lincoln. He will bring to the Diocese a wealth of

experience of ministry and mission whichhe has gained as a parish priest,Archdeacon and most recently throughhis role leading the Ministry Division. Ivery much look forward to working withhim and I know that we will quickly bene-fit from his experience, insights and wis-dom. Christopher and Susan can look forward

to a very warm welcome when they movehere to Lincolnshire and, having knownthem for many years, I am confident thatwe will enjoy their presence and friend-ship as they make their home here. When the Vacancy-in-See

Committee completed theStatement of Needs for a new

Bishop, its members knew how difficult itwould be to find someone who met all thesignificant needs which we set down.However, those who know Christopher

Lowson already will be aware how fully hemeets those needs, while those who methim for the first time on the day of hisappointment will have experienced a manwhose drive to serve God in the best waypossible is as evident as his calm authority.Christopher’s background, with many

years as a parish priest and then service asan archdeacon, is excellent preparation forepiscopal ministry. His most recent job isnot an easy one and adds to that prepara-tion. In the role of Director of the Church of

England’s Ministry Division, there are vary-ing and often opposing pulls in terms ofpolicies and priorities and, just like in a dio-cese, a number of different stakeholderseach of whom has different ideas about thebest way forward. Christopher has carefullydeveloped the way in which the Divisionworks, stewarding in a more strategic and

intelligent approach to many areas of work– an approach which roots practice in thecontext of the real world of changing pat-terns of ministry and financial constraints.This has added to his already considerableunderstanding of organisations and theways in which they work, and will help himto be a practical leader as well as a Godlyone. All this bodes well for us, as the man towhom we will look for leadership in thestewardship of our Diocese will bring astrong understanding of the subtleties andcomplexities involved in developing strate-gy and planning for change and growth. Christopher’s ability to attend to organi-

sational matters is more than matched byhis ability to present a strong outwardly-focused face. He has all the skills necessaryto communicate on a wider scale, to be anambassador for faith and Church, and toserve as a champion of all aspects of theDiocese in secular contexts. Those of us who were fortunate to have

toured the Diocese with Christopher on theday of his appointment saw a man who iseager to engage widely, is keen to listenand to learn, and who elicited positivereactions from everyone he met. Indeed,anyone who meets Christopher will find aneasy and open personality, someone whois genuinely keen to hear about people’slives and concerns and to establish an easyrapport. Being with Christopher is an energising

experience and, as he has a keen sense ofhumour, it’s often fun too.The final need identified in the Vacancy-

in-See Committee’s statement was that theperson appointed should ‘be the best per-son for the role’. Having known Christopherfor a number of years, I’m very confidentthat he is indeed the best person for therole and I’m highly delighted that he is tobe our new Bishop.

The Diocese of Lincoln is special inhaving at least two bishops of inter-national fame and renown: St Hugh,

whose holiness, wisdom and learning arefamed abroad and, also Edward King, whosuffered indignities and trial for his convic-tion that the Church of England was a liv-ing part of the whole catholic Church. Both men brought significant gifts and

insights to the life of Lincolnshire. Couplethis with the fact that we also have amighty Cathedral Church which is surelyone of the great buildings of Europe, if notthe world, and you have a heady inheri-tance for any new bishop. Christopher Lowson comes to us with a

reputation as a good teacher, a cool headand a gentle manner. In all these, hestands to take on the mantle of formerBishops of Lincoln. He will face with us, however, the signif-

icant challenges of the modern day: is theChurch losing its grip on the minds andhearts of the English people? Is the dispar-ity between rich and poor growing? Is theEarth under so much stress that our cli-mate is changing along with our environ-ment? As a military county, how should wefeel about the international conflicts inwhich we are involved? These and many other questions are the

ones Christopher needs to ask and addressalongside us: he, and we, have a mightyinheritance from which to approach thesematters, and a venerable future to build.

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Many people have asked in recentmonths, “What happens to you,now that the Bishop has retired?

Do you retire as well?” My reply: “The short answer is no; I am

what might be called, ‘Chaplain inWaiting’.”An end to the waiting is now in sight

with the announcement on Friday last thatthe Venerable Christopher Lowson is to bethe 72nd Bishop of Lincoln.I have to admit that I did feel somewhat

apprehensive when Bishop John andJackie retired, but having met Christopherand Susan last week I felt reassured andam very much looking forward to theirarrival in the autumn – getting to knowthem and developing, what I am sure willbe, a different way of being Bishop’sChaplain.

Before Christopher Lowson canbe enthroned in LincolnCathedral, a series of legal andpractical procedures has to becompleted, including hisconsecration as Bishop inLondon.

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The process for the appointment of abishop is quite complex. It involves aconsiderable number of people, and

so it is very difficult to set a timescale. It is overseen by the Provincial Registrar

of the Province of Canterbury. Once thename of the new bishop has beenannounced, the Crown will send to theDean of Lincoln a Congé d’Elire and LettersRecommendatory. These require theCollege of Canons to meet in the chapterhouse of the cathedral to elect a bishop −and also to tell them whom to elect. Theresult has to be notarised, and signified tovarious people, including the Crown andthe Archbishop of Canterbury. The result of the election is often dis-

played on the vacant cathedra (episcopalchair), which is on the south side of thequire in the cathedral. Once the election iscomplete, the Court of the Arches is con-vened in London, often at the church of StMary-le-Bow. During a service in London, the identity

of the bishop-elect is confirmed, as are theparticulars of his election. He takes therequired oaths, and the Archbishop deliv-ers his Charge to the new bishop. From thismoment, he is in law the new diocesanbishop, the ‘Spiritualities’ of the diocesebeing so conferred. Christopher Lowson must also be

ordained (consecrated) a bishop, and this isexpected to take place in London once theCourt of the Arches has been convened.Following this, the Bishop must go to pay

homage to The Queen. This is the ceremo-ny often referred to as ‘kissing hands’ −although in practice the new bishop’shands are simply wrapped around theQueen’s − and represents the conferral ofthe ‘Temporalities’ of the see. In times past,this could mean vast swathes of land,palaces and revenues. Then, and only then,is it possible to enthrone the new Bishop inhis Cathedral Church. This is done by theArchdeacon of Canterbury, representingthe Archbishop.The enthronement is very much the

occasion for the whole diocesan family towelcome its new Father in God, and to cel-ebrate the ministry of the Church in theDiocese.

What happens next?

Gavin KirkPrecentor of Lincoln

is published by the Diocese of Lincoln.

The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those held by the Diocese.

Editor Will HarrisonReporter Nick Edmonds Telephone 01522 504034e-mail crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org

www.lincoln.anglican.org/crosslincs

Printed by Mortons Print Ltd, Horncastle, Lincolnshire

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Christopher Lowson will be enthroned in Lincoln Cathedral later in the year.

St Mary-le-Bow Church in the city ofLondon

PHOTOGRAPH: STEVE CADMAN/WIKIPEDIA

PHOTOGRAPH: JIM NEWTON

Congé d’Elire

The Congé d'Elire (leave to elect) is alicence from the Crown in England issuedunder the great seal to the Dean andChapter of the Cathedral Church of thediocese, authorising them to elect a bish-op or archbishop, as the case may be, uponthe vacancy of any episcopal or archiepis-copal see in England.According to the Chronicle of Ingulphus,

abbot of Crowland, who wrote in the reignof William the Conqueror, the bishoprics inEngland had been, for many years prior tothe Norman Conquest, royal donativesconferred by delivery of the ring and of thepastoral staff. Disputes arose for the firsttime between the Crown of England andthe See of Rome in the reign of WilliamRufus, the pope claiming to dispose of theEnglish bishoprics.The Constitutions of Clarendon, promul-

gated by King Henry II of England in 1164,set out procedures to be used for episco-pal elections. Ultimately King John grantedthat the bishops should be elected freelyby the deans and chapters of the cathedralchurches, provided the royal permissionwas first asked, and the royal assent wasrequired after the election.

PHOTOGRAPH: WILL HARRISON